Clive James's Cultural Amnesia.

Cultural Amnesia

Clive James' 20th-century canon.

Why is Anna Akhmatova's legacy important? What was shameful about Jorge Luis Borges' career? These are the kinds of questions esteemed critic Clive James poses and answers in his new book, Cultural Amnesia, a compendium of the intellectuals, artists, and thinkers who shaped the 20th century. Taken together, the essays—presented in an A-to-Z format—offer a compelling alternative history of the last century and of the struggles of liberal humanism against totalitarianism. Slate published an exclusive selection of these essays adapted for these pages.

"Edgar Quinet: The man who understood the true cost of the violent revolution." Posted March 27, 2007. [Note: Because of a production error, this piece appeared after the excerpt about Rainer Maria Rilke.]

"Rainer Maria Rilke: What his career—taken along with Bertolt Brecht's—tells us about fame." Posted March 23, 2007.

"Jean-Paul Sartre: The nothingness at the heart of his philosophy." Posted March 29, 2007.

"Leon Trotsky: He was a mass murderer, not the true champion of the working class." Posted April 2, 2007.

"Dubravka Ugresic: A defender of women's rights and a brilliant journalist." Posted April 6, 2007.